Passing The Test

 Gen. 22:1,2
God tested Abraham…And He said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

The scripture application to this passage is one of full surrender to God. A willingness to give up what you love dearly to serve God. I certainly don’t claim to understand the mind of God in this requirement. Yes, this was a test to see if Abraham was completely sold out to mind God, but on the other hand, I can see why some would question God’s requirement to have Abram kill his firstborn. In our day, if someone did this, they would be charged with murder and sent to prison for life, or given the death penalty, regardless of their religious beliefs. This subject, no doubt, has been debated and discussed for centuries, so I am not even going to attempt to explain this paradox. 
Looking at it at face value and deeper meaning, this is also prophetic in that God was willing to give His only-begotten Son. This same God, who commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar, sent His Son to earth, to live among us and sacrifice His life to save ours. 
As we walk with God, we are faced with many trials, tribulations, and tests. Trials and tribulations are given to all who walk this life, but tests are given to see what we are made of. Test of character, test of integrity, test of loyalty, and test of faithfulness are all given for the purpose of bringing glory to God. In our day, God has spoken through His word. When we hear the voice of God, it will not go contrary to His word. We need to test the spirits to see if they are of God. God grants us the wisdom to discern His voice and the strength to pass the test He sends our way.
 

Obey God, Not Men

 Act 5:29
…We ought to obey God rather than men.
The laws of our land are slowly shifting away from the moral laws of God. Christians in America are facing challenges that they never had to deal with in the past. A nation that once honored the Bible and the Ten Commandment has turned its back on God and what is morally right. The laws of marriage between same genders is not only accepted, but it is to be celebrated. Anyone who speaks against such lifestyles is condemned as a bigot and hate monger. We are living in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, every man doing that which seems right in their own eyes, refusing to obey God, and the moral law He has given to man. The world is attempting to silence the church and the teachings of Jesus. They only take from the word what is pleasing to them and fits their ideology and philosophy of life. God is love, and we as Christians need to love others by showing God’s love to others and sharing God’s grace. But it is an injustice to others and their eternal soul not to preach the whole counsel of God. Paul obeyed God when he penned the words to abstain the appearance of evil, putting off sin and all that is unholy. We have a message of deliverance from sin, and a lifestyle that loves and gives. Let us continue to share Christ to others, and to obey God rather than men.

Traditions of Men

 Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Many traditions are grounded in scripture. It is our tradition to always pray for our food before we eat. This is a good practice, and I believe it honors God, but it is not a commandment. Yes, we find examples in scripture where prayer was made before eating. Jesus, gave thanks at the last supper, and we use such examples to do likewise in our daily habits. But there are many traditions that are born out of necessity and become relevant practice in our daily walk with God that are not “Thus saith the Lord.”. Many traditions become habits of life and build character. I believe that traditions are good and should have a place in our lives. But traditions should never keep us from fully following God’s word and being led by His Spirit by His word. His word was given to us over a span of a thousand plus years, holy men of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.(2 Peter 1:21) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Let us keep our tradition, especially if it aligns with God’s word, but may it never hinder us from fully obeying God.

Complete in Christ

 Matt 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete (perfect), go and sell…

What do you possess that you are not willing to let go in order to be complete and whole in Christ? The call to follow Christ requires that we take up our cross and let go of those things that hold us back from fully serving Him. The scripture has many examples of those who held back, and did not gain entrance to eternal life. The love of money has kept many people from having eternal life, but money is not the only thing that keeps people from having eternal life. Eternal life is given to us only through Christ, and knowing Him is to follow Him in complete obedience to His word. We cannot be perfect or complete in Christ if we don’t have a heart single toward Him and Trust Him with our whole heart.

Bleeding of the Sheep

1 Samuel 15:14  
And Samuel said, What meaning then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

Doing good deeds to cover up sin will not work. Saul was given direct instructions to destroy the enemy and all they possessed. His ambition to save the best for himself backed fired on him.  He thought he fooled God and got away with his actions by justifying his actions by saying he was doing it to honor God. Good intentions are not good if they go against the commandments of the Lord. Giving offerings to the church or some charitable organization does not do away with committing sin. Eternity is not determine by the balance of good deeds out weighing evil deeds. When God speaks, it is best to trust and obey. The word of God makes it clear that the only way to eternal life is through Christ. Seeking the approbation of God by any other means is futile. Walk in the light, follow Christ, and obey His voice, and the bleating of the sheep will have eternal benefits.

Second Change

Jonah 2:1,7-   Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly… When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

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The life of Jonah demonstrates that serving God sometimes requires us to make hard choices, choices not always to our liking. When we avoid making the right choice we often find ourselves in the “belly of the fish” praying for another chance. Jonah was a man in earthen vessel, his heart wanted to do right, but the flesh was weak to do what God wanted him to do. The story is not given to us to show the imperfection of man, but to show the mercy and grace of God. For even in our weakness, we can be made strong to do the will of God. Doing the will of God is at the heart of full obedience and surrender to God. Just because we love and serve Him, does not mean that it will be easy to follow His will.  Jonah realized that not doing God’s will led him to an undesirable situation and circumstances. But, Jonah was given a second change. He is a God of second changes.

Obedience at any Cost

Gen 22:2 Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom you love, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

I will never understand the mind of God and the task he ask Abraham to do. I understand the application of total surrender and giving everything to God, even those whom you love and are close to your heart. I also understand the symbolic type given here that God gave His only son to die. We teach that God would not require us to do anything that is contrary to His law. The conflict that must have gone through the mind and heart of Abraham. To do something so contrary to God’s moral law. This will always be a mystery to me. I will probably never understand the account given to us here in scripture. But this I know, that God is good and does all things right. He is sovereign and knows the beginning to the end. Who am I to question God? His word declares it and I must believe it. It is a lesson of obedience at any cost. This is the truth I choose to apply to my life.

Being Perfect

Matt 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Perfection doe not mean living life without making mistakes, or misjudging. Being perfect is a matter of yielding your life over to Christ. Keeping the commandment by abstaining from sin is good, but it is not the criteria to living a perfect life. Confession and repentance by accepting Christ into our hearts is the key to entering the Kingdom of God. God calls us to a life of holiness, a life whose eye is single toward God. The world says no one can be perfect. Christ says, if you will be perfect, give all that is important in your life over to me, and follow my footstep in obedience to the will of God. The Holy Spirit was sent to those that believed in Christ to guide them into all truth, and to live a life perfect before God.

Witness of God

Roman 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

What is this Spirit? He is the Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of life, Spirit of Adoption, the Spirits that dwells in each believer that has allowed the flesh to be mortified and put away. He who has yielded their members to the things of God and allowed the Spirit to led them. The condition “if” is given 8 times in the contexts of this verse. If we let God, then God will do. If we trust and obey, He will see us through. His Spirit will witness to our spirit that we our His child when the conditions have been made. His Spirit will not dwell in a heart that is full of sin and hatred. His Spirit will not abide if the members of the flesh live after the flesh. What a comfort to know that we can be a children of God and that His Spirit can live and direct our lives.

Look Toward the Holy Temple

Jonah 2:4, 7 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple…When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Did Jonah turn his back on God? We do know that he refused to do what God wanted him to do. I believe Jonah wanted to do the right thing, but was caught up in his own fears and prejudices. Nineveh was a wicked city and it showed no tendency toward serving God. Weather Jonah sense that it was of no use, or if he feared what the people would do to him, he fled away from what God wanted him to do. He jumped from the fire pan into the fire when he decided to board the boat that would whisk him away. It was at sea, in the storm and eventually in the belly of the big fish that Jonah looked to God for help. He remembered what it was to be in the presence of God and to sense God’s glory. He realized that God would not forsake him. Even as Jonah fled, God was chasing him. To think that the God of the universe loves us so much that He pursues us in spite of ourselves. Like the prodigal son who remembered his home and looked to toward his father, Jonah looked back toward the holy temple, and remembered the goodness and mercy of God. It is never too late to turn to God. If we turn from our ways of disobedience and turn our hearts toward the holy temple, God will receive us.

They Forsook God

Judges 2:12 …they forsook the Lord God of their fathers…

People are so fickle. As soon as things start going bad, they are ready to jump ship. The Israelites witness a mighty deliverance from their enemies by the hand of God. God wanted to do more for them, but their obedience came short. They were satisfied with the victories they had won and just wanted to kick back and take it easy. They started compromising with the life style of those they refuse to drive out. That is the way sin works in our lives. If we fail to fully conquer the sin in our lives, it will start to take control of the way we live. As Christians, we must let Christ crucify the flesh of our self will, and submit ourselves wholly unto the Lord. Sin will cause us to forsake the ways of God and turn to a life of serving self. Let us not stop short of letting the Holy Spirit complete drive out that sinful self. Let God sit on the throne of our life, making Him the King of kings, and Lord of Lord of our life.

Walking Before God

Gen 17:1,2 ““I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”-

Walking before God. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the talk. Live what you preach and walk in His way. To walk is to be always moving forward. It implies that we are on a spiritual journey. To walk before God is to walk in the light of His presence. To walk in His footsteps. Because He is the Almighty God, He rules and reigns and is able to help us walk (live) a life that is “perfect”. As humans, we are filled with many imperfections. We see things through a dark glass and our minds are clouded with our own prejudices. We act and react based on our limited information and sometimes are led to judging or acting incorrectly. But, God is not desiring that we live a life that is void of mistakes or human error. He desires a heart that is perfect toward Him. One that will walk in perfect obedience to His will. Doing the will of God is a matter of choice, and we can choose always to follow His way. He has promised that if we will, He will do things in our lives that exceed our own human expectations. 

Following God

Joshua 14:9b “because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.”-

Following God without any reservations. To Wholly follow the Lord is to fully and entirely do what He wants you to do. It is full obediences to the will of God. Partial obedience is not acceptable. Saul followed only part of God’s will and paid an awful price for his partial obedience. Joshua followed God fully and did not hold back his obedience. Because He did, God blessed him and gave him the desires of his heart. Everyone is called of God to do something for the kingdom. Some are called to led and others are called to follow, but it is all for the purpose to glorify God. Wherever God puts us, He wants us to grow and be all that He desires. To become a mature Christian, living life to its fullness. This is only done, when we are willing to wholly follow Him, no matter the road He may have us travel. “Give it all, give it all to Jesus.”

The Test of Abraham's Faith

Gen.22: 1-14

The account given to us here in Genesis 22 has been a matter of great controversy. The offering Abraham was required to make is not consistent with the teaching of the Bible. The sacrificing of humans is a known practice among the heathen religions throughout history. There seems to be various explanations to this event, but it is not the nature of this study to explore for possible answers. It is sufficient to say that the final decree of God to Abraham was, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad” The more important aspect of this Biblical account is the spiritual application that is implied. Test and trails will come to every believer in Christ. God does require of us our most precious treasure. All those who walk with God will come to a crossroads in their lives. Are we willing to give it all to Him? A complete and full consecration, letting go, and let God have His way.

Talking with God- “God said unto him”
• Abraham knew the voice of God
• Do we pray enough to comprehend His voice?
Testing of Abraham- “God did “tempt” Abraham”
• God does not tempt with the intent to see us fall
• To show forth God’s glory
• Will our character remain steadfast? Proving the heart.
Total Obedience- “Take now thy son”
• Taking what we love and giving it all to God
• Trust and obey there is no other way
Traveling the Road -“rose up and went”
• Our spiritual journey often takes us to a “place”
• Getting there is half the battle- We must not be detoured
Top of the Mount -”I and the lad will go yonder”
• Isaac’s wiliness to be sacrificed
• Pointing to “The Lamb of God” - God Provided
Temptation and Deliverance “The angel of the Lord called”
• No temptation given to man- He will provide a way of escape
• Obedience is better than sacrifice
• His purpose is accomplished
Trial of our Faith-“I know that thou fearest God”
• Those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution
• Faith is shown by works- Not enough to say “I believe”
Testimony of the Lord – “It shall be seen”
• He is our provider-Jehovah-jireh
• He is all we need